Fresh Out of Luck
by morgan1yam
Summary: With what she was, one would assume that she'd have the best luck ever. Well, not quite. If she did, she definitely wouldn't have fallen in love with "That Guy" after a single glance. She blames Cupid for that one, but this is the tale of Lyra P. Conn. Or as you'd know her, the Leprechaun, and how she stumbled into wooing the Nightmare King.
1. In which we find we hate Cupid

**Well, this is my first ROTG story, and it's not really going to follow the same guidelines as the others. I just want to make this fact clear: I HAVEN'T READ THE BOOKS so this will be based purely on what I have seen in the movie or heard from the grapevine. It's completely Un-Beta'd so sorry about any mistakes. **

**All characters and content from this story not created by my own hands are under ownership of their proper caretakers, which do not include me.**

**With out further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

It was mid-February and children were out on the street enjoying the frosty weather, pelting each other with snowballs and dunking one another in the stray snow banks. Their pleased giggles rose up into the sky, echoing off the nearby houses and buildings. All the while, they were unaware that someone was watching, golden eyes flashing in the light as they narrowed, focusing in on the small group of children.

A mighty sigh was heard from on high as a face peered down to the children playing below, looking away from the project in hand. The steady tap of a hammer was hardly heard above the din as the figure worked steadily on one singular shoe. They leaned against a chimney, sprawled out comfortably on the edge of the roof, one leg dangling below. A smirk graced their features, crinkling their eyes in amusement as one child was given a 'face-wash'.

A light and airy chuckle was let out from viewing this activity, and I was still tapping away at the project in hand. The shoe had to get finished, I mean it could have been left with one of the other "wee folk", but with our 'big day' coming, all of them were off securing their hoards and readying their parlor tricks. Stupid little things really, but I couldn't turn the little gremlins down.

Besides, it would have happened anyways, they would have shirked their duties, and I would have had to pick up the slack, even though most of the year, they claim that making Fae shoes was a _man's job_. It was bloody stupid though, I was their leader, their Commanding officer… more like babysitter really, and the stupid little things wouldn't let me do my part of the job unless it was under drastic circumstances. As per usual though, they'd be feeling regretful about it later after our day was done and it was my time to play.

It was more like their day though, and my proverbial holiday. It's what usually happened every Saint Patrick's Day. They went out to play, and I got a day away from making sure they were contained… to a lesser extent.

Oh. Your probably wondering who I am at this point in time… My names Lyra, Lyra P. Conn. You might know me as the poster child for Saint Pattie's. Except I'm not a short little man running around in a green suit screaming about lucky charms or some other crap. I'm quite the opposite you'll find. For one, I'm a girl, shocker I know, trust me, you'll get over it.

Hopefully

Another thing, I don't wear green clothes, it's all red. Have I blown your mind yet? I probably shouldn't, look up your older lore on us; we _USED_ to all wear red, now only I do. And it's not the usual get up either; I'm wearing something just a tad classier. A white shirt with a red vest, for starters, no hat to be seen, thank you MiM. And I was wearing red shorts with black tights underneath, leading into the coolest pair of gold gilded black boots you would ever see. They were my pride and joy, along with being my first pair of magic shoes.

I can proudly say, I made them myself.

It's a fact that along with being fantastically lucky, Leprechauns are the shoe makers of all the Fae, legendaries and spirits included as of recent. North was ecstatic with his commissioned boots once they were finished. I handled that myself, and the others, grudgingly mind you, were given to the other wee folk to handle.

But this is all beside the point.

As I looked down to the kids below I gave another sigh, this one was more morose then the last, and with good reason. It was soon going to be my holiday, the only day I get to myself. And I knew I was going to waste it again this year, just like the past 150. I knew it wasn't worth it, I knew there was no point… but I still had to try.

A frown marred my freckled face and I placed the shoe in my lap, stopping my work for a moment. 150 years of being ignored, of pain and heart ache, and all for what? Some damn attention. MiM was on the horizon, as it was near dusk, and I couldn't help but crinkle my brow at him.

No, I had no tiff with Manny, I didn't talk to him all that often, and received communication from him even less. Every one hundred years or so, he`d send me an order for a new pair of shoes… if I was lucky. No, I had no problem with him, but I definitely had a problem with Cupid, and last I heard, he was off visiting Manny to _'Talk shop darling, so you're on your own this year.'_ What a cheeky arsehole.

Ever since I got caught by what Cupid called 'The big red Bull's-eye' I haven't been myself. Or, that is, I haven't been myself around this time of year. I couldn't bring myself to trick others, or tempt humans with my "pot of metaphorical gold", Just a heads up, in a famous human quote "these are not the droids/gold you seek." So stop trying.

But this is beside the point. I've been trying, in vain mind you; to grab one man's attention for the past one hundred and fifty years. All because I made eye contact with him for a brief moment before he fluttered off and I tripped on my face. Yes, on my face, no, you did not hear it wrong. Okay, leprechauns represent luck, yes, but I never said that I actually had it. I still blame Cupid for this situation to the day, not the luck part, that was all me, but the love... thing. I mean, he wasn't there per say, but as the patron spirit of Love, he damn well better take responsibility for this muck up.

Because there is no way _THIS_ was supposed to happen. _Ever_. He says he doesn't pick the pair, and that he just shoots the arrows, but good MiM, could he aim better, or maybe ignore an arrow for once? I mean, this whole shindig was torture, torture I tell you! And it's all because of one brief glimpse at the most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen… I get all gooey thinking about them.

I looked down when I heard the children start disbanding, leaving towards their respective houses. I picked up my project, sticking it in my satchel and tucking away my hammer before making a great leap up into the air. My boots were shimmering with shifting colors as I strolled through the sky, aiming for my little hovel in a hill called home. Little trails of light were left in my wake, and to the average eye, it would look much like a rainbow. Yes, technically, if you go to the other end of the rainbow, a Leprechaun is there. Our boots give off a luminescence that makes this possible, although it fades rapidly as we leave.

I hummed a slow jaunting song as I skipped through the air with ease, not really paying attention to my surroundings. I had plotting and projects to do, I did my best thinking up in the air, and really, where better to wander in thoughts then up where there is nothing to run into?

Well usually, as I stood corrected when I white blur rammed into my torso, sending both of us toppling down to the ground. I let out a yelp as we landed in a snow bank, oddly lucky for me. But, in my usual pattern, the stranger landed on top of me, knocking the air out of me and causing him to let out a small oomph. I say him; cause is voice was a wee bit too deep to be girly.

I let out a wheeze of air before engaging my _'Set sarcasm to stun'_ mouth. "Just when I'm about to punch my frequent flier card ya arsehole, now I have to fill it all over again." Of course, it's then that I open my eyes and see who's on top of me. And of course... it just had to be this guy. This frigid little teen, the master of all things cold and freezing, the King of cool and all things fun, the Frost master himself.

Itty Bitty Jack Frost.

He let out a small cough… or was it a chuckle; I don't care either way, he got out of my personal space bubble. He got off me and that's all that mattered right now. His staff was to the side and he flicked it up into his hand before actually paying attention to the person he just had an air long collision with.

"We'll it's not like I'm the only one at fault. All this space for flying, and you just had to pick the same spot as me."

Pft, whose this kid think he is? A guardian? Wait, never mind, that was changed about a year ago… He joined the big league of MiM's finest, and I bet it all went to his head, that cheeky little snot. I'm still not sure what Manny saw in him, but I'm not one to judge what makes one a guardian. I hardly ever really communicate or run into them anyways. The only one I really frequent is Bunny, but that's cause we share the same season, and even then we don't really talk.

"Uh huh, well Mr. Fly guy, I happened to be occupying that section of air first." I bantered back with equal sarcasm as I pulled myself from the snow. Stupid punk was probably drawn to give the place a snow day or something. But the only time we are even in the same AREA as each other is… Well, in my 'aftermath' as the little ones have so aptly named.

"I'd like to see you prove that" Cheeky snowflake...

But, that's weird, why run into him now of all times? Better question, why did I have to run into Him NOW of all times, that close to that time of year? It's got to be karma or something. What a bitch, no, seriously… Karma is THE biggest bitch you will ever meet; she's permanently stuck in PMS mode whenever I see her.

"Oh yeah, check it out, my name was all over that spot till you crashed into me and messed up the words." I spat back before I stopped my railway of thought to focus back on the kid. "Okay, look, it was nice running into you and all, I really hope it never happens again, I got bigger shoes to fill right now." I quickly let out before bushing past the stunned teen, leaping into the air once more. It's not that I didn't like the guy, well… actually; I'm not too overly fond of him, but still! I just… I couldn't deal with this right now. I had too much on my plate as is. It wasn't very easy for me this time of year. I was always on edge and ever since then… my heart always felt like it was literally going to pound out of my chest till the day was over.

Ugh I am such a huge sap.

I gave a mighty sigh as I skipped off away from Jack, leaving the rainbow trail behind me. I felt like this year would be different, maybe something would go right… or maybe seeing Jack in person was an Omen, a bad one. It wouldn't stop me this time though. Even without Cupid's help, I would find a way to make him notice me this year. If this meant I had to give into the so called fear he cherishes so much, so be it. Maybe 150 was my lucky number… maybe this year, Mr. Pitch Black himself would notice me.

Who am I kidding, we only shared a brief glance… the last I heard, he was beaten by the guardians and was in hiding. He probably doesn't even know my name. No surprise really.

_I really am fresh out of luck, as usual._

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**A/N: Well, what do you think? This story is currently in the works, and I am all for critiques and or advice, please tell me what you thought. Is it too wordy? Not wordy enough? Is Lyra way off center and Frosty out of character? Please let me know, and I hope to see you in the next installment.**


	2. In which we try to hide a pictureframe

**Hello again everyone! And welcome to the second installment of Fresh Out of Luck!**

**It was so nice seeing everyone's reviews, it made me very happy! Just as a heads up though, everyone should take a gander at the authors note located at the bottom, if only because I will be explaining some things down there. This story is still Un-Beta'd, but I actually gave it a stern look over before I posted this time. Odd question though, but how does one go about getting a Beta Reader? Because that would be lovely!**

** But other then that, Enjoy!**

**I own nothing but the character Lyra.**

* * *

I looked up into the sky as she disappeared, a rainbow following after her steps, and realized something, I had no idea who that woman was. It was obvious she wasn't one of the humans, the pointy ears and flying disproved that theory rather quickly.

But that still didn't answer who that girl was. Was she another spirit, and if so, why hadn't I met her before, I'm pretty well acquainted with all of the other Legends. Speaking of legends…

Tooth whipped around the corner, wings fluttering furiously, just in time to see the last remnants of the woman's rainbow and I turned my head to look at her. Tooth wanted a night to go collecting teeth, and so we made it a tradition to go together at least once a month, she had these nights with the others too, and sometimes we did it all together, but tonight it was just us.

Maybe she knew who that weird lady was. "So, any clue as to who makes rainbows with their shoes? When there isn't any rain in sight?" I asked leaning on my staff and motioning about with my other hand.

She gave a small smile before flying into the sky above the town's roof line. I followed after to see her staring at the disappearing band of color. "That Jack," She started with a smile, "was Lyra, you might know her as the Leprechaun, and I'm surprised that you've never ran into each other!" She seemed really excited at this fact, like there was something special about it.

But, that's weird, why would we run into each other? Apparently my facial expression said it all, and Tooth gave me a stunned look. "Uhm, is it completely coincidental that you show up in the exact same area that Lyra rages at when she's done with her holiday?" She asked with a tilt of her head.

Her holiday? Oh, right, Leprechaun. So that would make Saint Patrick's day her holiday. Where am I after that? Isn't it that one little island up in Canada, what's it called? "You know, Newfoundland?" She mentioned, trying to make me realize, and I did.

Every year without fail, I get this sort of… itch I guess, to head up to this place and give it a fantastic little snow storm. And this is right smack in the middle of spring, and I sort of use it as my 'last hurrah' till next winter, along with being able to annoy the Kangaroo. But, I never knew she was there too.

"Really? What's she doing there?"

"Oh, no one really knows, except her leprechauns and maybe Cupid. Gossip on the grape vine says that she's angry because of a scorned lover. So she goes there to release her anger. It just so happens, that when she's up there, so are you. The locals call your snow storm "Sheila's Brush" though, and linked it to some Saint Patrick lore." Tooth mentioned with a grin.

Ew, not only do they think some chick is making the snow storm, but they just had to go and use one of the Kangaroos words to do it. Maybe to punish them, I won't show up this year… Nah that would be too good for them. I'd make this one ten times as bad as the rest, which should show them the error of their ways. But, what brought her there as well? I had the feeling it wasn't because of some 'scorned lover' thing like tooth thought. From what I could tell, this Lyra chick was way too chill for that. There was no way she could have a temper tantrum, let alone actually having a lover, who would be interested in her anyways? There was nothing special to look at when it came to her.

With a grin, I decided that for the next month or so, I'd get very acquainted with Lyra, whether she wants me to or not. And who knows, maybe I'd walk away with a pot of gold for my effort, that is what the myth is, right? I let a chuckle out at the thought.

* * *

"No. I do not have a pot of gold, No you do not get any wishes." I said exasperatedly as I tried walking away from the stupid snowball.

The kid had caught up with me a few days after we first 'collided' with each other and he still wouldn't leave me well enough alone, which leads us to this predicament. Predicament meaning that I _still_ had no battle plan for this year, and from the looks of it, I would be deprived of any alone time to think it over for quite some time. Would it be alright if I strangled the little kermugin, or would Manny hold it against me for throttling one of his chosen?

Hopefully not, but I still will reserve my right not to just on the off chance that Cupid will see and will rip me a new hole from hurting such a 'cutie'. Ah Cupid, I can hear it now, _'Mhmm girl, just what do you think you are doing? You strangle that kid and you will be making this world a lot less hotter than it is.'_ Followed by his signature z snap and not so casual eye rape of the aforementioned snowball. Well, as they say, Cupid is as Cupid does... or something like that.

I'd feel bad about him getting eye raped though, except I definitely wouldn't. If Cupid _Eye raped_ Jack, it would be in my favor, and hopefully it'd scare frosty the snow boy off long enough for me to put together a coherent thought.

"Are you sure? I'm pretty sure that if I rub your pot of gold, I get three wishes."

I actually had to stop and stare at him this time. He had a huge grin on his face with his arms casually crossed behind his head, staff clutched carelessly in one hand. I face palmed and rolled my eyes "Kid, let me start it off with this, I am _not_ a Genie, I don't do the wishes thing, ever." I narrowed my eyes, "and two, there is no gold, and no pot either, what I have isn't worth much to someone like you."

"Oh? Someone like me, well what is it then?"

A bland expression crossed my face before turning gleeful. Please note, I am The _Leprechaun_ Queen, if I didn't have a tricking bone in my body, I wouldn't be me. I'd just be some chick with super shitty luck.

Nonchalantly, I turned my head to look at him, and with a casual shoulder roll I let my voice drawl. "Well, if you must know so badly..." I paused for effect, oooh, gotta love that. "It is a stash of tampons and pads, if you want to see it I can show you, you know, I have some of it with me here." I mentioned before sticking my hand into a pouch, fake rooting around for one.

In a very classical _'I am a teenage boy, ew what are you doing stop talking about your gross girly stuff'_ way, Jack's face lit up like a red Christmas ball before throwing his hands out in front of him and exclaiming his displeasure. I didn't think it was possible for blue boy Jack to look so red. How precious, I wish I had a camera.

I stopped rooting around in my satchel with a shrug of my shoulders and continued on walking. Hopefully this would shut the kid up for a while, while I tried finding the perfect tree to work with. We were walking through a forest in Russia currently, if you had to know.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Snowflake asked. I gave an exasperated sigh before shushing him with a wave of my hand and returning to my previous work of inspecting trees. I walked around tapping on the barks of trees trying to find the one that made the perfect hollow sound. "None of your business, hopefully, you'll be bored of me by then and will have left." I murmured as I walked off to tap another.

All I got was a cheeky grin in response with a shake of his head while he still strolled behind me. "Don't you have something better to do? Like mess up someone else's day with a snow storm or something?" I spat out continuing along my stroll.

I realize now that I should probably mark these trees better so I don't spend forever looking for them anymore. But that would take work, and I'm just a bit too lazy to mark all two hundred trees. The little guys wouldn't be of help on this one either. _'Taking care of the Home is a woman's job Lyra.'_ sexist bastards.

Half way to knocking on the next potential tree, I heard a crack of a branch a small distance off, my pointed ears twitched at the sound and my head whipped in the direction it was coming from as my walk came to a grinding halt. Unfortunately, Jack wasn't paying attention, and we bumped into each other, me ending up face first in the snow below. I quickly spat it out and lifted my head from the ground, wiping my face with my hand. When I opened my eyes though, I almost wanted to shrink back into the ground.

Nightmares. Pitches' to be precise. Brilliant.

Now, normally, this would be good, Nightmares mean their king is nearby, and if you have all forgotten by now, I'm currently looking for him. Although, I would probably be a babbling, incoherent mess at the sight of him. Socially awkward does not begin to describe my level of incompetency. It's why I'm always trying to come up with a plan before meeting face to face… not that I have gotten the chance to yet. But the situation at hand was a tad more precarious, if only because of one aspect.

The little Frost twerp.

The guy who Pitch probably has on his hit list of 'people I really don't like very much'. And, if my guess is anything, Jack probably holds the record, much like North's naughty list. These facts lead me to believe that this isn't a social visit from the dark mares. Although, I really wish it was.

Jack had his staff raised and poised for battle while I was still pulling myself off of the ground. "Can't we talk about this like civilized people?" I asked as I brushed the last remnants of snow off. Jack gave me an odd look, like he's never met someone who doesn't want to wreck these guys. The response I got from the Mares was a bit clearer. A huff of angry air and grinding ones hoof into the ground seemed like a very nice indicator of _'less talk, more me chewing your head off.'_ Not a pleasant bunch I take it.

I sighed before reaching for my hammer at my hip. "I'm really not too fond of fighting you all, it's not on my extremely long to do list." I grasped the handle of the small hammer before swinging it in front of me, enlarging it to a more reasonable fighting size. I had to hold it with both hands now, and it weighed an absolute ton.

What. You thought I didn't have any kind of protection? Oh please, _magic boots_ can only be made with _MAGIC ITEMS_ of course! It's common sense! My hammer just so happens to be blessed with being really, really big under certain situations.

That doesn't mean I can actually wield it well though. Remember how I mentioned that the little wee folk were all about gender specific rolls? Fighting is one of them. So I never really have time or reason to practice with it. I'm going to be about as useful as a kid waving around a stick.

Hopefully they would focus on the one of us that has more fighting prowess. But, knowing my luck, they'd all come after me. I looked over to jack, seeing his impressed look and realized that yep, destiny was about to kick my ass. There was no way they were going to leave Jack giving me any kind of respect alone, it was going to get crushed in the worst way possible.

And that would be right now, as one of the first Nightmares took the charge and headed straight my way. I lifted the hammer up into the air, eyes closed, before bringing it into a downward arch. I call this technique the _'Close your eyes and pray you don't die'_ method of fighting. I have a black belt in it. To my absolute astonishment, the blow hit, and the mare crumpled into the ground. I opened my eyes after the impact, shocked that it actually worked before looking up at Jack to see if I was the only one to have seen the first potentially lucky moment of my life.

I was.

He was too busy getting mauled by the rest of the Nightmares; apparently they were aware of the fact that I was just a bit lame at this stuff and focused all of their attention on the one with actual skill. So yes, I did happen to take out all of my opponents, if only because there was one. My brow crumpled slightly at the thought, what if Pitch just thought I was some weak female, and not worth his time? Is that why he only sent one after me?

My opinion was shattered after I heard Jack give a small gasp of pain. One of the nightmares had managed to cut a gash into his arm, and blood was oozing out of it at a slow pace, most of it freezing as it escaped his skin. This wound seemed to make Jack snap, and he blasted the rest away with his frost. Hopefully he wouldn't notice the ridiculously small amount of work I did, considering he just took out twenty of them in one go. And I only had one to my name.

Honestly, it's probably a good thing that I only got rid of one, wouldn't want Pitch too mad at me. Oh, but… what if, by association, I'm on his hit list cause Frosty here won't leave me alone? I can't be blamed for him being an annoying brat! Uhg.

I frowned at the kid, only to see him looking down surprised at his arm. What, had the kid never bled before or something? Actually, he was looking pretty stunned at it, like he didn't know what to do with it. With a harrumph, because that's all you could really call what just came out of my mouth, I grabbed the kid by his other arm and started dragging him to a nearby tree.

If the kid was so shocked at being slashed at, he probably has no idea how to take care of a wound, and lucky me, I do. And as of this moment, I was responsible for his ass, if only slightly. "Come on ya pussy, let's get that fixed up before you feint." I growled, pulling him through the snow to the tree nearest to me.

I knocked on it, and received a fantastically hollow note in response. Perfect. I smoothed my hand over the trunk till I felt an indentation in the bark. I pressed my hand into the section and the trunk popped open revealing a small entrance inside.

These trees were my version of Santa's portals or Bunnymund's holes. They helped me get from point A to point B however fast as I wanted. And right now, point B was my workshop. It was attached to my house technically, but I kept all of my medical supplies there. It was the location in which I did the most damage to myself honestly, so it was best to keep it there out in the open then tucked away where I couldn't find it.

I yanked Jack in through the trunk and left him standing in the door way as I walked off to retrieve my kit. There wasn't much to my workshop, little bases of shoes and tools were lying about, I had a work bench I did most of my carving at, and a desk I did paperwork at. Okay, so I might not be allowed to make shoes often, but according to the little twits I take care of, paper work is a woman's job, and thus should be left to the women. Except I am _LITERALLY_ the only female Leprechaun, so I did all of their paper work, plus my own.

I will say, I've gotten really good at it, even though I still hate ding it to this day. But besides all of this, it was just like any other hovel I've seen, nothing too cool or odd to look at, so it's not too odd that I hoped that after I fixed him up, Jack might just get bored and leave, because it's not like there was anything interesting here for him to-

"Hey, is that a picture of Pi-"

I dropped the medical kit I was holding and snapped over to where jack was standing, next to my desk and slapped down the picture he was looking at. "No it isn't" I quickly spoke. I refuse to admit that I have a picture of Pitch that Cupid gave to me as a joke forever ago. He put it in this ridiculous heart frame with a caption of _"ILU"_ at the top. I will also not admit that I stare at the picture often when trying to come up with ways to make him notice me, or that I talked to when paperwork got to mundane.

Cause I don't. That would be silly.

"Are you sure?" the sly snowflake said with a cheeky grin. "Because that sure looked like a guy I know, who coincidentally goes by the name of Pitch Black." He stated, leaning a hip against the desk, still favoring his arm.

"Well, coincidentally, you saw wrong, it's most definitely not him."

"Then why are you so defensive over it? It's not like there's anything to hide."

"That's friggin right you twat, there's nothing to hide but the ridiculous frame it's in." I shot back; hoping he'd back off, but apparently my verbal defensive maneuvers only enticed the arsehole further, causing him to snatch the frame from my grasp and look at it with a grin.

Well crap, he's got the 'oh really' face on. Nope. Nope, nope, nope. I'm done. Here's one last try.

"Would you believe me if I said it was his long lost twin _Bitch Plack_, emphasis on the Bitch?"

…

Apparently not, if we are going by jack's facial expression, at least I tried. I was a bit frustrated at this point, I mean, what the hell! Here I am, going to help the brat, and what's he do, steal my property! Talk about showing appreciation.

"Whatever, look, it's none of your business, so leave it well enough alone." I mumbled as I snatched the frame back and put it back in place.

I really didn't want to have to explain myself to him. The less I had to do with Jack Frost, the better. He didn't seem to have the same opinion though, and followed after me as I went to retrieve the medical kit once more.

"Well, I think it became my business when the nightmares attacked us out there." He mentioned.

Shit. I didn't think about it that way. " That and this have no correlation; the Nightmares have never came near me before, much like their master. So no, it really is none of your business." I hissed out before motioning to his sweater. "Take it off so I can get a closer look."

He quirked his eyebrows at me, as if he was trying to be suave or something. _Puh-lease_, the kid has to be at least 200 years younger than I am, and _ew_, talk about hormonal stew pot, the kids been stuck as an angsty teen for over three hundred years, there is nothing attractive about that.

"Take it off before I rip it off, your choice powder puff." I spoke with a flat tone.

The desired reaction was achieved this time, and he removed the sweater, showing a white t-shirt underneath. Lucky for him, the shirt was higher up his arm, and thus didn't get stained with the blood. I rolled up the sleeve and started cleaning off the wound methodically.

Jack looked down at me as I got to work on it. I wasn't sure if he was surprised at how gentle I was being, or that I could actually do something useful. I got used to fixing both myself and others up, as the boss; I had to fix up most of the major wounds that the Leprechauns got, so I was always up to snuff on my medical skills.

"So," He started awkwardly, "I take it you've done this before?" he asked as I stopped cleaning it, beginning to wrap it in bandages. Was that supposed to be a pick up line? Cause it sucked.

"Yeah, you could say that." I murmured.

"So," why does this kid begin every sentence with so, I get that this is an awkward situation, but really, be original for once! "What was with the picture?"

I gave a sigh; of course he was going to ask about it. "Alright, look, it's a gag gift Cupid gave to me because he's an asshole like that, so there." Hopefully that would cull his curiosity till I could kick him out and never have to deal with him again.

"Wait, why would cupid give you a picture of Pitch though? Did something happen between the two of you?" I flinched at the last part. It was hitting too close to home for my liking. The little snowflake just couldn't keep his mouth shut could he?

I tied the end of the bandage up before throwing his sweater at his face. He scrambled with it as I put the medical supplies away once more. With that done, I once again grabbed his arm, pulling him to the door before opening it and tossing him out.

"Look, it's none of your business, like I keep telling you. So just leave me and mine alone and I won't have to puree your head the next time we meet." I threatened emptily. There was absolutely no way I would be able to take Jack out in a fight, my own clumsiness would take care of that.

"But, wait-"

"Good bye Jack, I don't want to see you later." I cut him off, slamming the door in his face and locking it. I'd like to see him try and bother me now!

I turned around to go back to my desk before I noticed an item out of place, causing me to curse. It was his staff. I tossed him out before he could grab it.

_Shit._

* * *

**A/N: Well, what do you think? All chapters from now on will be roughly this length or so, unless it's a weird chapter of sorts... But anyways, here's some cool information for you!**

**1. The Island of Newfoundland found in Canada has some really cool lore when it comes to Saint Patrick's day, one of them being 'Sheilas Brush'. You should look it up! I might be pulling from some more Newfoundland Lore later on, but I will be mostly sticking with the general Celtic Lore for Leprechauns.**

**2. Both Jack and Lyra seem a bit... well... Douchey right now, and with reason! Jack isn't all fluff and sunshine guys, no matter what the fangirls say, re-watch the movie and see. Lyra isn't a bundle of fun either. But don't worry! As far as character development goes, they'll be smartening up sometime soon. I just wanted to make the 'relationship' between the two of them more realistic. And no, I do not mean ROMANTIC RELATIONS AHOY, it's a PITCH romance for a reason. Just, stick with me, and you will see.  
**

**Anyways, please tell me what you thought of this chapter, I adored hearing from everyone, and it really brightened up my day to see how many of you were interested in this~!**


	3. In which we meet Thor

**Hey everyone! Sorry about the late update, the life of a University student going through finals is not an easy one... Nor is trying to handle getting through the holiday season sane. I was trying to put this off a bit longer till my local theater got the movie in, but apparently that had been postponed for at least another two weeks, and I really didn't want to put you all through that kind of wait. **

**Yet again, I'll have a more detailed Author's note at the bottom. It will be going over somethings found in this chapter, along with a few other topics.**

**Yet again, I don't own anything rise of the guardian related, or else I would be making this into the largest franchise since transformers.**

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****_In which we meet Thor_

Hidden in the dark shadows, a man watched the events from earlier unfurl. Who was this woman teaming up with Jack Frost? He had never seen her before. He watched quietly as she dragged him away after the battle, pulling him into a tree, making them disappear from view. Golden eyes narrowed at the action, and a dark figure stepped out of the shadows to gather a closer look at what had occurred.

In a very usual fashion with Jack, his Nightmares had turned back into dust, and were getting blown away with the slight breeze till he summoned the nightmare sand back to him. The one creature who was directed to the woman on the other hand…

It still retained its shape, an unusual action considering the Mares would return to their dust state when destroyed. The man leaned down, brushing a hand against the mare's neck. At the touch, it jolted into awareness, yellow eyes flashing open. It wobbled slightly before getting its bearings and rising majestically once more, as if the blow had never happened.

It let out a huff of air, pawing at the ground, and he stroked the beasts face, trying to figure out just what had occurred. It was as if she had knocked the Mare out cold, which was preposterous, as Nightmares are beings of sleep, the do not sleep themselves.

It was very peculiar indeed.

The man tilted his head, looking to the tree the pair had disappeared into previously, the corner of his lips twitched up into a small smirk, eyes narrowing. "We will just have to find out what this woman is up to, hmm?" He murmured to the mare before once again dissipating into the shadows.

The mare remained, following the masters silent order. He had already let them down once, being beaten by that _waif_ of a woman, he would not let Master down again. It trotted into the foliage, loosing it's self in the shadows, waiting for the woman to rear her head once more.

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I was pacing my workshop, boots clattering against the wooden paneling below. I was freaking out, to put it lightly, and unfortunately, I had an audience this time around. I had a bit of a rampage earlier, and Phil, one of the few Leprechauns I could actually stand, came to make sure I was alright. Unfortunately, he brought an annoying entourage with him.

You know how annoying North's elves can be? Take that and times it by _FIVE_. That is the Leprechauns, fortunately for me; they actually do have their uses… sometimes. They can do basic jobs, with grand amounts of being ridiculous, but they still get done. Although, that's only if the excuse _'that's a woman's job'_ cannot be used. I've gotten really good at getting around that.

But anyways, there was Phil, Steve, and Tony currently watching me tromp about the workshop from the nice confines of my guest couch. I love that chesterfield, and normally reserve that for visitors, not that I get them often of course, the first one I've had in over a hundred years was Snowflake… I always meet up with Cupid at his place because he can't stand the sight of mine. I will say though, in my defense, it is a _ridiculously_ comfy couch and Cupid is missing out. Normally, I'd make them get off, but I was a bit preoccupied with the close future of a particular magical item.

Jacks staff to be precise.

Okay, so I have Jacks staff, this is a fact. And I can't keep it, that's another fact, if only because I can't have him barging down my door looking for it. I don't want to see him face to face either, because of rather obvious reasons. Maybe... I stopped my pacing and tilted my head to look at Phil and the boys. Unfortunately, Phil knew me much too well and instantly made the rebuke of _'no, delivering that item is your duty.'_ a very polite way of saying that playing gofer is a woman's job.

That knocked down that plan. Back to pacing I suppose. A few more shots of going left and right gave me the brilliant idea of giving it to Bunnymund, he's a guardian, and he can give it to Jack. Oh wait, no, Bunny hates Jack because of the blizzard in 68' if I recall properly. What the bloody hell, does no-one like this kid or something?

Probably.

He was so much better when... Ah, well. Never mind.

A melancholic sigh made me flop down into my desk chair, sending it spinning. I really hate thinking about back then; it always hurts when you compare it to the now. It hurts to realize that you're not important enough to be in someone's memories. But, enough of that, I apparently only had one choice left, and that was to give it back in person, no matter how much I didn't want to.

With a creek I pulled myself out of the chair, grabbing and the staff and heading for the gateway. I motioned for my little entourage to follow. There was no way I was doing this alone; I needed back up, if only because me hitting anything with my hammer was just short of a miracle. And they were supposedly pros at this sort of thing. Since they were men. _Assholes_.

With a sigh, I opened the door leading out into the forest once more. It leads out into the Russian forest, although I probably could have picked a different location, like just out of Burgess, where his _'lake'_ was. Or maybe the United States as a whole would have been a brilliant idea.

But nope, I like how mother Russia looks and feels, and thus, I'm going to have to Rainbow Bridge my way across the world to find Jack. Hopefully I won't have to trapeze my way across the entire globe to find him. Hopefully he's nearby. It had only been five hours since I kicked him to the proverbial curb anyways. Maybe he can't fly without his staff, is that a bit too much to ask for?

It's also a worrisome thought, cause… what if his staff is the source of his power, and I've just been chilling with it in my house, leaving him alone where there are bears that can maul him, or Pitches to abduct and torture him. You know, except for the torture part, I wouldn't mind being in the center of the last one…

The group and I give a small leap into the air, engaging out boots just before I get knocked out of the sky once more, being pushed face first into the ground. If it's Jack again, I'm gonna show him exactly why Leprechauns are also known as devious and malicious beings in some cultures. I hit the ground with a solid whack which makes me worry for my lungs as I wheeze out a breath.

I turn my head as much as I can before I see what's holding me down. And honestly, I think I probably would have preferred Jack. It's another nightmare. And if the indentation… scar… _thingy_ on its forehead is any indicator, it's the same one I thought I killed earlier. _Bummer_. I actually thought I did something useful for once, and I managed to make a mess up out of an initial mess up.

Luckily, this time I have back up. I look towards where Phil and them are supposed to be, only to see them scampering away in fright, abandoning me to the demonic equine. Really, I mean, _really_? Guys, you were all about the _'Men protect women, women shouldn't fight, blah, blah, blah'_ thing earlier, what happened to that limited chivalry? What happened to you being my shield? They better damn well _avenge_ my death then.

The horse presses down on my back even more, its front hooves digging into my shoulder blades, and I think they are about to crack, as I can hear the creaking of my joints, which isn't a good sign. Its breath huffs down on my face heavily, uncomfortably warm and unnecessary in this situation. Great. All time low self, all time low. I'm about to get trampled to death and what is my last thought? What is the last thing I verbalize before my inevitable crushing demise?

"Bad… horse."

Yep. I am getting nominated for the _'best death in noted history'_ for that great act, for sure. Especially because it came out in a small creek of breath, making it seem choppy and worn. It had no presence, no oomph; can I ask for a redo?

Apparently the fates thought so, as the nightmare immediately released the pressure on my back and stepped off. I was shocked, awed, and in horror currently. I mean, sweet baby Jesus, the horse isn't on me anymore, that means one of three things. One, it's going to eat me. As in, literally, it got off me so it could chew me and eat me while I'm still alive. Or two, it has much worse planed than a simple crushing, what that could be, I'm not sure. Three, its owner called it off. Oh good MiM how I wish this was true. Cause that would mean its Pitch, and he's nearby, and he's gonna talk to me, and, and ,and… And my brain stopped working.

And I knew my brain had to be in a malfunctioning state from the third option because there was no way that nightmare just whined at me in a pitiful horsey fashion. It's not very scary of it, and three seconds ago it was intent on snuffing out my life. Just to certify that I'm not going crazy, I look to where the sound came from, expecting to see the horse ready to complete a full nelson on me, bad horse style, or at least a body slam of some sort.

I actually have to stop myself and count to three, just to make sure I'm not seeing things. The mare is sitting on the ground like a dog, whining at me pitifully. Its ears are pressed back against its head, and if I didn't know better, its yellow evil eyes were misting over with unshed tears.

I'm dreaming. I have to be dreaming, it's the only explanation for this situation.

Slowly, hopefully not to startle it back into its regular _'kill this woman' procedure'_, I raise myself up from the ground and onto my knees facing towards it. Its ears perk towards me and I take this as a sign to stay still. And so, to preserve my life span, I freeze completely. We have a stare off of the likes no one had ever seen, until I had to blink. It had won this round, but not the war.

I shifted my eyes quickly over to where Jack's staff lay, it wasn't with in reaching distance, and knowing me, I wouldn't be able to use it anyways. In the moment that I looked away, the horse had managed to scoot closer to me, ridiculously closer. When I finally turned my attention back to it, it had its head inches away from my lap. _'All the better to lunge for your jugular my dear'_. That had to be why it got so close.

I was seriously freaking out at this point. The horse I thought I_ killed_ was getting its revenge through torture, cause that is what this had to be, torture. There was no other explanation, but then again, it's me, of course there is, and it's going to be the one explanation I won't think of. I mean, the possibility of this thing actually being remorseful for crushing me was so outrageous it was inconceivable.

And of course, it's exactly that.

The Nightmare gave a whiny before placing its head in my lap. All I could do was raise my hands and hold them in the air like an idiot. I mean, you have the living embodiment of everyone's horrible dreams just laying its head in your lap, snuffling at your cloths, what would you do? Other than scream bloody murder and smack it in the face that is. But that would be the smart thing to do, and at this point, we can all tell I'm not exactly one of the nominees for the _'smart woman'_ award.

" Um. Good horse?" I let out, props to me for even managing that, I'm a confused wreck right now.

It neighed happily before yanking its self out of my lap and trotting around in a circle. It was reminding me of a vulture. This is the part where it rips my throat out I'd bet. And I think normally, normally, I'd be right. Except for this crazy moment right now. It shrinks down into the_ 'pocket edition'_ size of a Nightmare horse, which was roughly about three inches tall.

Okay, I'm not even going to try and understand this one, but It's probably all a scheme to get my trust so it can back stab me later. And what better way to gain my trust than to come in a little petite miniature form. Ah, who am I kidding, this will turn out wrong too, just like everything else. It's probably just a lonely little pony who needs a friend slash companion.

"Okay you, I'd love to pander to your needs right now, but I have other things to do. Like deliveries to young white haired brats."

It gave a small squeaky neigh before bouncing up into the air and flitting closer to my being. Whoa, what was this thing up to? Oh. That. Makes sense now that I think about it. It was small, I could pop it into any safe container and just trot about with it, no worries necessary.

The little nightmare slipped into a pocket of mine, curling up into a ball after rotating around to get comfortable. Thing was more like a nightpuppy then a nightmare so far. And, you know what people do when they get a puppy? They name it. And this would be no exception to the rule. But, what does one name a fear based creation that cuddles like an over active child? Was it a girl or a boy even... Do they have genders for the matter? Ugh, this was gonna be tougher than I thought.

With a sigh, I waltzed over to Jacks staff, picking it up and slinging it over my shoulder once more before hopping into the air. It was sort of supernatural, maybe Sammy, no... Too angsty. Dean, too... Dead sounding. Cas wasn't right either. I swore I wouldn't name it after any of the human's magical ponies from that one children's show... What was it called? Mine tiny horses, French ships are Maverick? Something like that. I really like human culture, pop culture to be precise, but there are something's I just can't catch onto.

Maybe I'd resort to my usual naming for this little dude... Or dudett. I thought it over for a bit, trying to pick one of my usual names for this little guy, before one struck me. Cuddly like a puppy, but strong and intimidating to enemies. It was genius. I pat the pocket it resided in before deciding that it would be a dude. Going way against the title of nightMARE. "I shall name you Thor, and would you look at that, humans named a day of the week after you, you must feel special."

I received a whiny in response. Hopefully that meant _'this name appeases me'_ in horsey. It probably didn't, but buttercup would have to suck it up and deal with it. Or whatever.

I jumped up in the air, getting my rainbow bridge going again before jogging away from the area. There was no point in waiting for the others to show back up, cause if there is one thing the little munchkins were good at, it was making themselves scarce after being threatened. I'd be surprised if they ever came back to this area in the next four years. That being said, Thor would probably be a better protection item then those brats. He might be able to talk all the other baddies out of eating me with his puppy horse face.

I highly doubt it though. Who would listen to a tiny little horse when they are defending an enemy? Not many.

Getting high into the air I looked about, trying to see if I could locate Frosty. Lucky for me, it looked like Jack couldn't fly about without his stick, and thus, he was only a short few miles away from my location. A quick few sweeping steps later found me hovering in front of the boy.

Landing with a small hop, I notice the very clear frown on his face. Poor buttercup must have been upset by my throwing him out the door. "oh, well look who it is, the antisocial hermit who _steals_ peoples stuff." he snarked. Whoa, wonder where he got that from, oh wait, it's probably me...

"Yes, yes, yes, laugh it up Snow White. It's not like I come bearing gifts of magical sticks." I motioned, grabbing the staff from my back and waving it in front of me before throwing it at the boy. He caught it with one hand before giving it an intense look over. Like, please, why would I tamper with your twig boy? There's literally no point to it.

"How was I supposed to know you were defenseless without it?" I tried to explain.

This still gained me no boon, and I only received a penetrating glare in response to my very solid logic. Kid should learn to lighten up sometime, but from that look, it isn't coming my way any time soon. With a sigh I fiddled with the tips of my crazy curls before taking an attempt at an apology. "Okay, I'm sorry I threw you out of my house without your magic staff, and I'm sorry I impeded your guardian business by taking away your powers for the small amount of time which is roughly six hours."

I looked up from my fiddling to look at his face; he seemed contemplative, as if thinking over my apology... Or more likely, thinking up a new way to ruin my life. I couldn't quite tell which it was yet. A smirk crossed his face and he leaned back on one leg, flipping the staff over onto one shoulder, and then I knew that this wasn't a good thing.

"I'll forgive you... If you answer _all_ of the questions I ask truthfully. He emphasized the all. Shit. The all has been emphasized pull back, pull back, mayday, mayday!

A grimace crossed my face, and I started fidgeting, looking back between Jack and the surrounding forest. Could I escape before he catches up to me? Probably no, I was a fairly fast flier, but not that fast. He'd catch up to me in no time at all.

With a groan I spun on my heel, slouching my shoulders and letting out a barely audible fine. I just hoped that the kid wouldn't ask certain questions. It was unlikely though this was turning out almost exactly like the last time...

I just hope that it wouldn't end with the same results.

"So, why do you have a massive crush on the lark lord himself?"

Oh man. Of course he asks that, and so nonchalantly too. He was just leaning there, asking that question like it's not the biggest problem in my life right now... Not that he would know that though, thank MiM. But, when it comes to questions like this, I know all the best answers, thank you human pop culture.

"I'll have you know I do NOT have a crush on the dark lord Voldemort, I've been fortunate enough to not run into that guy yet."

If there is one thing you learn from the fey, it's how to give the best half answers, or how to avoid answering the intended question completely. I got a very sour look in response to my excellent answer, good on him for catching that reference! I was contemplating congratulating him on his small victory, that is, until Jack waltzed closer getting into my face. Personal space snowy, back off. "I mean, why do you have a crush for our resident nightmare king, Pitch Black himself."

That was a question I couldn't avoid. It was way too specific. I was hoping vainly that he wouldn't catch onto how to word these questions until later. But the kid seemed to retain some of his brain mass from previously, to my unfortunate luck. I felt little Thor turning around in my pocket as if he was reminding me that he also technically is one of Pitch's creations. And thus, could potentially recite this very information to the man being discussed.

With a harumph I placed my hand on top of the pocket containing Thor before looking at Jack mournfully. "Walk with me for a bit, will you?" I asked before flipping back around and heading into the trees.

Jack floated around to laze next to me as I walked, looking straight ahead. It was inevitable really, and maybe in the long run, Pitch finding out this way would be easier than me just running up and being like_ 'oh love of my life, take me now.'_ cause even that would creep me out.

The thing I was stuck on now, was finding the best way to let them know without sounding like a complete ditz. "I... I saw him once. Just once. And it was his eyes I think. They were perfect, like a gilded gold with dark green rings. Almost like... Even though he's so dark, he has a bright center, a sun that he keeps hidden away." good job me. You completely bounced past the ditz section and landed yourself right in the middle of the _'whoa what a creeper'_ section. You just had to get poetic; it's definitely going to get you brownie points. Might even win the _'biggest weirdo ever'_ award. Go team.

"It was a while ago, okay, like 150 years, and it is completely Cupid's fault. It would have never happened if he just kept a better hold on his arrows, and didn't shoot that one. Besides, he doesn't even know I exist, so it's not like it's a big deal or anything." I tried to redeem myself. My arms were crossed furiously, still trudging through the snow. It was a big deal though, to me at least.

I didn't feel Jack next to me anymore, and turned to look back at him, only to find a shocked expression on is face. That wasn't a good sign. "What?" I snarled out, turning fully to look at him.

He stuttered for a moment, waving his hands in the air, as if trying to catch the words he wanted to say. "I didn't think you really loved him-"

"I'm just attracted" I interrupted in a flustered fashion. Because, whoa, where is this suddenly coming from Blue Boy? When have I EVER said it was love? It couldn't be, that would be preposterous… wouldn't it?

"But you are, and you haven't done anything about it for over a hundred years."

"No, I never said I haven't tried, but-"

"And it's Pitch of all people! The guy who tried to, I don't know, end the world!"

"Not exactly, cause you see-"

"And you Love him!"

"Attracted!"

"Cupid shot you with an arrow and you still believe it was just an attraction? Cupid is the patron of love; not _'oh he's cute'_."

"I disagree; you don't know how many times Cupid says that." I argued back, getting more frustrated with each volley of words. Jack by now was pacing through the air, looking a bit shocked, but mostly stupefied, as if this whole situation was something against nature. Which it was, just so you know.

"And you have to be the weirdest person ever to find him attractive for starters."

"Hey man, there are weirder things to be attracted to, like feet."

"And you're only going off of the fact that his eyes are pretty."

"Well what else am I supposed to do?! I've never even talked to the man, let alone got him to notice me at all!" I finally shouted back. "All I know about him, I had to gleam from others, and I'm going off of my stupid arrow, the one Cupid just had to shoot at me!" I turned around angrily, my breath coming out in choppy pants, causing my shoulders to quake.

It was silent for a moment before I let out my largest fear at this situation. "I don't even know if there is a returning arrow from him to me."

There were many cases, according to Cupid, where one person becomes enamored with another, going by the accordance of the arrows, but that person is destined to love another, or just simply won't receive an arrow in response. And the thing with Cupid, is that he can't tell anyone what is in another person's love future. So I couldn't even find out if Pitch could like me from the patron of love himself.

I heard Jack come to a standstill behind me. I had no idea why, but letting him see me like this was tough. I heard him give out a heavy sigh before placing his hand on my shoulder. "Hey, you'll figure this out. And... I'll…" he pauses for a moment, scrunching his face up in a sour fashion. "I'll help you... Woo the nightmare king himself." he let out a small gag at the thought and the act brought a tiny grin to my face.

Woo, whose he kidding, the kid's got just about as much romance experience as a rock, I would know. That's not to say that I'm any better off though…"Uhg, your such a child." I sighed before turning around to face him. "But thanks." I gave a small quirk to my lips.

He smiled back before I grabbed him by the collar, hoisting him closer to my face. "you tell anyone about this though, and I swear I'll murder you snowflake." he raised his hands up in a non-threatening fashion, swearing not to. Too bad I had the misfortune on now being the butt end of many of his jokes, if the tone of humor in his voice was anything to go by.

With a sigh, I leaned back getting ready to speak to Jack about arranging a meet up for later, I had work to get back to. Or, at least I was, till Thor though this would be the best time _EVER_ to let out a little whinny and clamber out of my pocket. Right in front of Jack.

Good job Thor, you have the best timing ever. You just couldn't wait a few minutes to make yourself known, like when Jack was gone perhaps? Cause there was no way on earth that Snowballs reaction was a good one. He had let out a very girly gasp, leaping back a good foot, throwing his staff in front of him defensively.

"What are you doing with one of those?!"

Well, I suppose this situation could be worse. But, I think I should learn how to shut up, or to get on Karma's better side. Maybe she likes chocolates.

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**A/N: Well, there you go, the third installment of "Fresh Out of Luck"!**

**A few things about the chapter this time around! I will give brownie points to any who guess the general theme in the side character names so far! And I need to point something out to all of you starting to worry!**

**No, this will NOT turn into a Jack Romance, it is strictly Pitch. Buuuuut, that doesn't mean Jack and Lyra won't have SOME kind of relationship, but there's is more of a... hrm... Bromance would be the best term currently. But I'm leaving little clues as to why, and I'd love to hear your opinion on them~**

** How did you like it? Speaking of opinions, I have many people to thank this time around! Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I was so very happy to read them! It made me really happy to get such a good response back! **

**personal thanks goes out to:**

**yoyo, bedstories, PitchAndBunny, exaigon, itte'sasprite, bangbangxd, forestclaw27, kathryn, and last but not least, dottyautumn!**

**Thank you all so much for your reviews, and I would love to hear more from you and other readers! I'll try and get the next installment out soon, and until then, have fun and I'll see you later!**


	4. In which we have a Problem

**Hello again everyone! **

**Yes, I managed to get this out a bit sooner than I had actually anticipated, but I suppose that's what happens when your trying to avoid younger relatives, and you use the excuse of home work to get away with it.  
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**As per usual, there will be a more detailed A.N. at the bottom of the story, along with what I will now refer to as reader acknowledgements.  
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**Oh, almost forgot~ in this chapter, I do something a bit different from my usual, so I actually have to put this down here so you don't get too confused! There is a section in this chapter that is completely italics, that section is a flash back, just as a heads up so none of you are going "What? What is this? What is it doing in my face?"  
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**_All Rise of the Guardian and Guardians of Childhood related characters and themes belong to their respective owners, which are definitely not me!_  
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**And with that note, enjoy!  
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****_In which we have a problem  
_

My eyes narrowed slightly as I faced the boy in front of me. Master had commanded me to keep an eye on the woman, and thus I had. My original plan was to watch her group from afar and gather information for Master in this fashion, but after a few moments of watching, I had realized that this group was not exactly filled with intellectuals, and that there was a faster fashion in which I could gain information for master.

Infiltration.

I had scared off all of the woman's entourage, making sure to get rid of any loose strings that could tangle up my flawless plan. I will openly admit though, it took much effort to stop myself from choking her and ending this ridiculous situation now.

I was surprised at how easily she accepted me into her fold, with only a few moments of suspicion on her end. I don't know why master was even bothering with this... _Wench_. She had no positive qualities, or for what I could see, no inclination to be involved with either the guardians or himself.

I slipped myself into her pocket when she wished to leave, if only so I could observe her more closely, and not have to search for her later. Apparently my smaller form made her less likely to view me as a threat. This did not mean I would not be ripping her apart after this mission was done and over with.

Because I would enjoy every moment of that event. She had dishonored me by both besting me in battle, and leaving me stunned instead of killed.

Thor. What a preposterous name. The cur would pay for such impudence, what gave her the right to name the regal me? Nothing. She was a whelp beneath me and my master, and thus I must regain my honor by fulfilling this mission, if only to take her down later.

Until then though, I would have to pander to her whims. This did not mean I was banned from making her life complicated though, which showing myself to the snow brat accomplished. I knew that the woman would not let me be harmed, if only because she had formed an attachment to me.

Besides, this would speed up me gaining the information I needed for master. What I had obtained so far was... Intriguing, to say the least. Hopefully I would retrieve more before retreating to master with what I had gained. It could be useful for later, if only minute.

However unlikely any information from this woman would be.

* * *

So, I had no idea what to do. I mean, other than to jump in front of Thor and throw myself in between him and Jack. "Okay, so, a funny thing happened on my way here." I let out a small choked chuckle.

"I kinda, sorta... Flew into him." I explained, trying to keep Thor out of Jack's view. I was very futile considering the horse was bouncing around the air behind me, looking over my shoulders. Jack had his staff aimed at where ever the little Nightmare appeared, following it with grim determination.

Too bad I was in between the two of them.

"Okay, he's fine, I promise, the poor little thing wouldn't hurt a fly!" I announced, grabbing the horse in both hands and holding its wriggling form close to my chest. It was neighing in disagreement of the treatment, but at this point in time, I really didn't care what it wanted. Right now I was making sure it stayed alive. Which was completely contradictory to what I should have been doing if we are going by what the big book of _'smart things a woman should do'_ says. But, since when have I ever followed those guidelines?

"Just... It's with me, so, lay off." I sighed out. I was done with this; it was just too much work. I mean, having Thor around wasn't exactly a plus or minus in my case, but it was nice in a very backwards way. It almost felt like he noticed me, and sent Thor to me. It was like I was being recognized by Pitch.

And that was a very foreign feeling considering how long I have gone invisible to his eyes.

Thor, whether he knew it or not, was one of my only ties to the dark man who held my attentions. It was only him and Cupids arrow that connected us. Maybe Jack as well, if you squint and tilt your head upside down.

"Frosty, meet Thor, my current tiny companion." I motioned to the horse drawly; I might as well get the introductions over with. "Thor, this is Frosty, don't crush I'm unless I say so or he gets really annoying." This gained me a horsey nod in response and an indignant groan from Jack.

It was quite nostalgic to hear honestly. I used to hear it so often back then. Apparently I was a _party downer_ still. It must be engraved in my character or something. But after being alive for so many years, your outlook _really_ changes.

Three hundred years without being seen does that to a person. Oh... Right. I might have forgotten that small detail. Back in the old days, I might be seen by one or two people if I'm _lucky_, but honestly, with today's culture... No one really believes in a female Leprechaun. The last human to actually see me was three hundred and seven years ago... Not that I kept count or anything.

But, I kinda understood how Jack felt about humans not believing in him. I understood it _more_ than he did really, if I was being completely honest. Anyways...

Jack was cautiously moving himself out of his attack position and into something a bit chiller. He was still on edge though, you could tell from his posture.

"So, where did you get this guy?" he inquired, trying not to seem to overly hostel. Who was he trying to kid, he was jumpier then Bunnymund on Easter day. Hopefully he would calm down with increased exposure. I heard it was a conditioning style sometimes used by humans. Only MiM could tell if it would work on Jack.

"As I said," I huffed, "on my way here to look for you, I ran into him. His random arrival scattered the rest of my party. But he wouldn't hurt a fly, unless he was trying to cuddle it." honestly, that was probably true, from what I've seen anyways.

"Uh huh," Jack murmured, crossing his arms. "And this was all coincidental?" he inquired, popping his hip to the side slightly. I was starting to wonder if Jack Frost was a diva... Or a teenage girl. If he starts talking fashion, or about boys, I'm solidifying this idea. _Diva Frosty, bringing you all the sass and fashion you need for this winter season._

"I'm pretty sure it's coincidental, I mean... If Pitch sent him, I don't think Thor'd be so chill with me. I am almost one hundred percent sure that Thor would be eating my head off if he was under orders from him." I reasoned out. The closest Thor was getting to eating my head, was chewing in the ends of my hair, which he was doing currently. I think it was his passive aggressive way to say _'hey. I wanna prance around, let me go.'_

What a cutie.

I opened up my hands, letting Thor fly out. He zipped about for a moment before perching down on Jacks shoulder. Jack was freaking out a fair amount, flinching when Thor landed on him, and trying to pull his head as far from the miniature equine as possible. These actions stopped abruptly after Thor snuggled his head into Jack's cheek.

Jack froze up; ah winter pun, at the touch before mellowing enough to raise his hand and patted the horses head. Jack's lips were moving as he gazed at the nightmare with a cautious expression, but I couldn't hear what was being said.

He probably just didn't want me to hear him talking cute to the little thing; he had to keep up his diva persona of course. A life time to build a reputation, and a single moment to bring it to ruin as they say.

* * *

"You even think of hurting her, and I'll show you the real meaning of frost bite." I murmured threateningly while I patted his head none too gently. It was more like a smack upside the head if I was being even remotely honest. And I had good reason to abuse it. I knew what this creature was up to, and I knew at this point, Lyra was just too thick to notice this sort of subterfuge.

The horse snorted back at me, eyes narrowing before it pressed its sharp edges into my cheek to the point of my skin almost breaking.

Good. It got the point.

We would act as if we didn't mind each other too much, but we would be looking for ways to put each other into the ground without her noticing. I couldn't really explain why, but I felt sort of protective of her. Like, beating this little cretin into the ground served to do more than put Pitch's plans back to square one, but to defend her honor to a point.

I suppose someone had to look out for her, she'd probably end up dead for a second time.

Pitch's minion let out one more huff before prancing his way back over to Lyra. He curled up in her pocket, head poking out to glare at me. I narrowed my eyes at him, no backing down from the challenge, _'just try to mess up her life and see what happens pint size.'_

_'I'd like to see you try and stop me brat.'_

_'How about I show you the business end of my staff you walking glue-'_

"Alright" Lyra interrupted, "now that you two are done with your male bonding, can we move on to other things?"

One last returning glance to the horse and I nodded my head. "Yeah, sure."

"Okay, good, as I was saying, Saint Patrick's Day is just around the corner for me. Literally. It's only twelve days away, and I need a battle plan for it. But with all the stuff that happened today, I think we should reconvene later."

Wow. This was almost like a war plan, you'd think that we were a tactical unit from how she was pacing. A very bad unit that is. Especially since none of her plans have worked for over a hundred years.

She tilted her head slightly, her hair shaking and the little hellion in her pocket giving out a neigh as she popped her hip to the side. "My only question, is where do you want to meet, my place or yours?"

I couldn't help but grin. My _'place'_ was technically a pond. But as of recent, North was hosting me at his place in the work shop. Something about '_every guardian needing a place to stay'_. I don't know where Sandy lived if that was the case though. Maybe he stayed at Tooth's.

But, maybe having her come to the North Pole would be best. I could get North in on what was happening, and maybe have him be on the lookout for any activity from Pitch. Cause something was definitely up.

Besides, it looked like Lyra really needed to get out and meet people. She was just way too stand offish for a normal person. It's sad when I say I am better acquainted with Bunny then I am her.

"My place sounds good. I'll meet you at the lake outside of Burgess to take you there."

She gave a nod of her head and I turned around to leave, "Goodbye Lyra." I let out with a grin before walking slightly and letting the wind sweep me up and take me to North's. When I was up in the air, I pursed my lips slightly. I could have sworn that I saw Lyra's face turn ashen just as I left. She looked almost like she was seeing her worst nightmare. But she already had one in her pocket. And I'll admit, it's a little weird for something pretending to be close to Lyra try and make her afraid.

* * *

_"Lyra, mother says I need to stop seeing you."_

_My eyes widened at the statement, and I dropped my hammer to the ground in front of me. I fumbled for the shoe I was working on with my other hand before looking up to him with a shocked expression._

_"W-what? B-but why?!" I stuttered out, more flustered than I could ever remember being. I scrambled up from my seat on a rock, stumbling forward towards him._

_"She says I need to focus on our family right now. She says she needs me to watch... Well... You know." He stated, rubbing his arm nervously and looking to the side._

_My brows creased together, and anger was flushing through my body just as quickly as the sadness was. "But, why does this mean you have to stop seeing me?" I pleaded, desperation oozing out of my voice._

_"Because mother says you aren't real."_

_My heart stopped pounding in my chest, if only momentarily._

_"I- I don't understand." It didn't make sense at all; there was nothing about this that could have made any kind of reasonable sense. "You've seen me for ten years! We have been together for ten years! I've watched over you, made you laugh, dried your tears, and taught you new things!" I cried out. "How can I not be real!?"_

_He sighed, shoulders slouching before looking back up to me with sorrow filled eyes. "I… I'm so sorry Lyra. But I need to grow up."_

_He turned around, facing away from me, readying himself to leave. I fell onto my knees, folding in on myself under the pressure of the sorrow. He looked over his shoulder in a glance, brow furrowed and lips in a straightened line. I could see his regret in his eyes, why couldn't he just come back?_

_"Goodbye Lyra."_

_He turned away, walking forward without looking back. My hand reached out for him, trying to grab onto the last thread connecting us. But he never turned, never looked back from his choice. He left me, alone, sobbing into the cold as he stepped through the snow heading back to his village._

_The one thing I tried to avoid, the one thing I had hope for. _Gone.

_I had lost my only friend, my brother, my son, my last believer. And I knew I would never gain another in this life time._

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so what did you think of this chapter? I know, I know, there was a LOT of Perspective jumping, but I felt it was necessary to set the mood. Unfortunately, I can't guarantee that it won't happen again. But I will stick by the fact that it will MOSTLY be in Lyra's pov. ... and Barely ever in Pitch's. I'm a little worried about that, I'm not sure if I'll do his portrayal any justice. It one of my biggest fears with this story actually._  
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**But anyways, I need to say this now, if I was given the option of putting this story under three categories instead of two, the third would be DRAMA. Yes, that's right, I'm huge into the 'whoa, whats this, hidden tensions?' deal. But I'm trying to mainly keep this light hearted.  
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**Is anyone picking up the hints I'm dropping by the way? I mean, They seem obvious to me, but I'm writing the story, so of course I know what to look for. Does anyone have any guesses on what's going to happen, or in Lyra's case, what HAS happened?  
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**Also, the general theme I'm having for Lyra's name choices has to do with a movie that came out this summer... or last summer anyways, since it's now 2013~! Here's a clue! They're really good at _Assembling_.  
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**Um, if anyone has any critiques, please let me know, cause I realize that the last chapter was a bit... lacking, shall we say, and I tried to make up for it here. But I'm not certain if I did better or worse in this case!  
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**A lovely shout out to all the readers who have reviewed! :  
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**Bedstories: _Thank you for the fantastic Review! I'm going to try and make my writing better! and I'm so very sorry for making you jumpy!_  
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**Forestclaw27: _Was this a soon enough Update? I tried my very best!_  
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**HisokaUzumaki: _Thank you very much for the review! I'm glad you think its adorable, and I'm super happy you picked up on that little fact as well!_  
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**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I will see you in the next!_  
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